Author
Topic: Special Snowflake Stories (Read 8725036 times)

It's possible I've posted this tale before; if so, I apologize. This took place at least 35 years ago, when AWD and FWD were rare.

To get to my job, I used a very winding two-lane road that took me from my low-lying home up over a pretty good hill. I worked evenings, which meant my driving during rush hour.

It doesn't snow that often in Portland, and back then, people who knew how to drive in it were thin on the ground. It had been snowing for a while that day, and there was packed snow going up that hill. There were lines of cars on the side of the road, not moving much at all. My VW bug had the the rear engine so I had good traction. I passed them doing a careful 15-20 mph. Since they were hugging the side, I could stay in my lane.

But a couple of Special Snowflakes in 4WD vehicles decided to show off, and blast by all those cars at about 45, driving in the oncoming lane.

As I drove that road every night, I knew there was a light just over the top of the hill. Even on dry roads, I slowed down before the crest, in case it was red. I did the same thing that night too, because I knew that even at 15 mph, on the packed snow I wouldn't be able to stop for the light. Sure enough, it was red, and I had plenty of time to stop.

Not so the blazers (pun intended). They had tried to stop - and there was one in the ditch to my right, and another in the ditch to my left.

I guess they learned the hard way that, while 4WD lets you go faster on slippery surfaces, it doesn't let you stop any faster than any other car can!

Logged

…though he by no means wished to accept the invitation, he had not yet acquired the necessary power of decidedly saying No. Mrs. Edgeworth, The Parents Assistant, “The Mimic;” 1795

Today at the gas station. The station we were at only has two pumps which have diesel as well as gas. There were lines for the pumps. We were in our pickup and waiting to pull forward to the diesel pump. Just as the car ahead of us pulled out & before we could even start our truck, a little bitty pickup whipped from behind us and dived into the pump ahead of us. I don't know if he thought that we had already fueled and were waiting to leave, but he jumped the line anyway. (There are 8 pumps which are gas only so those lines were moving pretty quickly.) DH got out and called the guy on line jumping and just got the single finger salute and an "I got here first" sneer. Grrrrrr!

It's possible I've posted this tale before; if so, I apologize. This took place at least 35 years ago, when AWD and FWD were rare.

To get to my job, I used a very winding two-lane road that took me from my low-lying home up over a pretty good hill. I worked evenings, which meant my driving during rush hour.

It doesn't snow that often in Portland, and back then, people who knew how to drive in it were thin on the ground. It had been snowing for a while that day, and there was packed snow going up that hill. There were lines of cars on the side of the road, not moving much at all. My VW bug had the the rear engine so I had good traction. I passed them doing a careful 15-20 mph. Since they were hugging the side, I could stay in my lane.

But a couple of Special Snowflakes in 4WD vehicles decided to show off, and blast by all those cars at about 45, driving in the oncoming lane.

As I drove that road every night, I knew there was a light just over the top of the hill. Even on dry roads, I slowed down before the crest, in case it was red. I did the same thing that night too, because I knew that even at 15 mph, on the packed snow I wouldn't be able to stop for the light. Sure enough, it was red, and I had plenty of time to stop.

Not so the blazers (pun intended). They had tried to stop - and there was one in the ditch to my right, and another in the ditch to my left.

I guess they learned the hard way that, while 4WD lets you go faster on slippery surfaces, it doesn't let you stop any faster than any other car can!

Things like that happen almost every year during the first snowfall. I live 5 miles from the city limits and every year, you see 4WD vehicles in the median or on the side of the road. By the second snowfall, most of them have learned that, although you might be able to GO anywhere with 4WD, that does NOT mean you will be able to STOP anywhere.

Logged

"The Universe puts us in places where we can learn. They are never easy places, but they are right. Wherever we are, it's the right place and the right time. Pain that sometimes comes is part of the process of constantly being born." - Delenn to Sheridan: "Babylon 5 - Distant Star"

It's possible I've posted this tale before; if so, I apologize. This took place at least 35 years ago, when AWD and FWD were rare.

To get to my job, I used a very winding two-lane road that took me from my low-lying home up over a pretty good hill. I worked evenings, which meant my driving during rush hour.

It doesn't snow that often in Portland, and back then, people who knew how to drive in it were thin on the ground. It had been snowing for a while that day, and there was packed snow going up that hill. There were lines of cars on the side of the road, not moving much at all. My VW bug had the the rear engine so I had good traction. I passed them doing a careful 15-20 mph. Since they were hugging the side, I could stay in my lane.

But a couple of Special Snowflakes in 4WD vehicles decided to show off, and blast by all those cars at about 45, driving in the oncoming lane.

As I drove that road every night, I knew there was a light just over the top of the hill. Even on dry roads, I slowed down before the crest, in case it was red. I did the same thing that night too, because I knew that even at 15 mph, on the packed snow I wouldn't be able to stop for the light. Sure enough, it was red, and I had plenty of time to stop.

Not so the blazers (pun intended). They had tried to stop - and there was one in the ditch to my right, and another in the ditch to my left.

I guess they learned the hard way that, while 4WD lets you go faster on slippery surfaces, it doesn't let you stop any faster than any other car can!

Things like that happen almost every year during the first snowfall. I live 5 miles from the city limits and every year, you see 4WD vehicles in the median or on the side of the road. By the second snowfall, most of them have learned that, although you might be able to GO anywhere with 4WD, that does NOT mean you will be able to STOP anywhere.

It's possible I've posted this tale before; if so, I apologize. This took place at least 35 years ago, when AWD and FWD were rare.

To get to my job, I used a very winding two-lane road that took me from my low-lying home up over a pretty good hill. I worked evenings, which meant my driving during rush hour.

It doesn't snow that often in Portland, and back then, people who knew how to drive in it were thin on the ground. It had been snowing for a while that day, and there was packed snow going up that hill. There were lines of cars on the side of the road, not moving much at all. My VW bug had the the rear engine so I had good traction. I passed them doing a careful 15-20 mph. Since they were hugging the side, I could stay in my lane.

But a couple of Special Snowflakes in 4WD vehicles decided to show off, and blast by all those cars at about 45, driving in the oncoming lane.

As I drove that road every night, I knew there was a light just over the top of the hill. Even on dry roads, I slowed down before the crest, in case it was red. I did the same thing that night too, because I knew that even at 15 mph, on the packed snow I wouldn't be able to stop for the light. Sure enough, it was red, and I had plenty of time to stop.

Not so the blazers (pun intended). They had tried to stop - and there was one in the ditch to my right, and another in the ditch to my left.

I guess they learned the hard way that, while 4WD lets you go faster on slippery surfaces, it doesn't let you stop any faster than any other car can!

Things like that happen almost every year during the first snowfall. I live 5 miles from the city limits and every year, you see 4WD vehicles in the median or on the side of the road. By the second snowfall, most of them have learned that, although you might be able to GO anywhere with 4WD, that does NOT mean you will be able to STOP anywhere.

As my friend says, "Four wheel DRIVE does not mean four wheel STOP!"

I have a Special Snowflake from my state's Renaissance Festival. I've been working there as an "area supervisor" - basically there's an area of food/beverage booths that I'm assigned to, and I make sure everyone's happy, has product to sell, has money to make change, etc. I wear a badge stating I work for the Fest but don't have to dress in costume. Typically I just wear shorts or jeans and a t-shirt, maybe a baseball cap if it's really sunny out. IOW, I look like a typical Fest patron, not a participant. As I was at one of my booths yesterday, checking to make sure everything was going okay, SSFestivus approached and asked me what I was doing. I replied, "Oh, I'm a supervisor and I'm making sure these folks have what they need!" SSFestivus told me snottily that I couldn't work for the Fest as I wasn't in costume. I said that it wasn't required for me to wear a costume, since I'm not selling. SSFestivus said something like, "Well, I come here for the ambience. I don't need to see anyone who isn't participating in the spirit of things! I'm going to complain to corporate!" and stomped off. The booth seller and I waited until SSFestivus was gone before falling over in giggles. This particular Fest is owned by a private corporation, which consists of a lovely couple, who are the ones that made this particular rule about supervisors not having to dress in costume. I wonder how far SSFestivus will get with this complaint?

Then there was the lady who bought fish and chips from one of my booths, stood off to the side and pulled apart her fish fillets, looked at them dubiously (fresh from the fryer and properly cooked), then thrust them back at the booth seller and complained, "I can't eat this! This fish is broken in half! I need new ones now!". We did not give her new fish fillets because she pulled her other fillets apart herself. We are now horrible evil people who want her to get sick.

Her twins are having their third birthday, so they invite lots of family, including friend's father to come to their house for the twin's party. After the party, friend's father asks why they don't have [major sporting event] on TV yet.

Friend recently downgraded their pay channel selection for money-saving purposes, and one of the channels they lost access to was the channel that was showing [major sporting event] on that particular day.

Friend's father had a complete fit about that, asking angrily why had driven all that way if he couldn't watch the event. Friend: "I thought you can out here for your grandchildren's birthday!"Father: "If I'd known you didn't have that channel anymore, I wouldn't have bothered coming!"

I'm so angry on friend's behalf.

Logged

It's best to love your family as you would a Siberian Tiger - from a distance, preferably separated by bars . -- Pearls Before Swine (16-May-2009)

I recently attended a wedding where there was an open bar for the first few hours of the reception. People at the table where I ate kept announcing to each other how much longer the open bar ran so they could drink as much as possible for free. I personally consider this SS because they very much made it seem as if the reception was about getting smashed not the wedding couple.

I don't consider that SS -- just greedy and rude. They don't sound like they're whining about the cutoff, or demanding free alcohol past the cutoff point, or anything; though that they seem to have come there for the free booze does make them rude and jerkish, it doesn't really make them entitled.

Rob

Logged

"In all of mankind's history, there has never been more damage done than by someone who 'thought they were doing the right thing'." -- Lucy, Peanuts

I don't consider that SS -- just greedy and rude. They don't sound like they're whining about the cutoff, or demanding free alcohol past the cutoff point, or anything; though that they seem to have come there for the free booze does make them rude and jerkish, it doesn't really make them entitled.

Rob

I think the snowflakish part is that they are trying to drink more than they might otherwise, because their dear friends (the HC) are footing the bill. It's basically saying, "I can't afford this much liquor - but *you* can."

Logged

My cousin's memoir of love and loneliness while raising a child with multiple disabilities will be out on Amazon soon! Know the Night, by Maria Mutch, has been called "full of hope, light, and companionship for surviving the small hours of the night."

Wolfway, your friend's father sounds like my brother-in-law. I've told this story before - he once had a tantrum at our house on Boxing Day because I wouldn't let him watch The Game. I pointedly turned off the TV, saying "We're here to socialize." He stomped upstairs in a fury.

I've posted many, many stories about my MIL here before - she's very sweet, but her sense of appropriate behavior and boundaries tends to be . . . nonexistent, really.

So MIL's mother died a year ago and was cremated. MIL and her three brothers got together on the anniversary of their mother's death and went to the city where GMIL had requested her ashes be scattered, at the old family farm. (MIL and her brothers all live in different states and GMIL's family farm was in a separate state altogether, so this was what MIL termed a "creunion." Cremation + reunion, I suppose.)

The farm isn't in the family anymore, but MIL had been in contact with the people who lived there a few years ago and they had told her they were fine with family coming to wander around the stream and the fields and whatnot if they were ever in town. MIL and her brothers did so, calling ahead - only to find that the people MIL had talked to had recently sold the farmhouse to someone new who had just signed the paperwork but hadn't moved in yet. As a result, there was no one to ask for permission to go inside the house and see what had changed (something MIL was really eager to do).

So the SS thing: MIL and her brothers scattered GMIL's ashes anyway, without actually talking to the people who now owned the property. And since MIL couldn't get inside the house, she scattered some of the ashes on the doorstep so they'd get tracked into the house anyway, even without the new tenants knowing. I mean, on the one hand they're just ashes, but conceptually something like "I'd like you to track bits of this dead person onto your carpet, please!" kind of squicks me out

... Father: "If I'd known you didn't have that channel anymore, I wouldn't have bothered coming!" ...

Well, there are two ways to avoid having a repeat of this problem:

1. Check the sports section of the TV channel guide and never schedule another family event on the day of a 'big game'.2. Don't invite the FIL since he obviously has far more important things to do than spend time with his grandchildren.